Depression caused by a crappy life, OR crappy life causes depression?

[iowa]

Situational depression is caused by a sudden loss of something important in your life.  Otherwise, depression (chronic/major) is caused by our brains not functioning properly.  the nerves that send and recieve the chemicals that make us "feel" happy are not working.  Antidepressants have been created to correct this. Brain scans of a depressed person and person without depression show distinct differences. 
  Research has shown that changing our thinking patterns can change the brain chemistry.  Mindfulness is shown as one important tool to help with this.
iowa

[charlie1]

Situational depression is caused by a sudden loss of something important in your life.  Otherwise, depression (chronic/major) is caused by our brains not functioning properly.  the nerves that send and recieve the chemicals that make us "feel" happy are not working.  Antidepressants have been created to correct this. Brain scans of a depressed person and person without depression show distinct differences. 
  Research has shown that changing our thinking patterns can change the brain chemistry.  Mindfulness is shown as one important tool to help with this.
iowa

I wonder if all depression is situational to an extent, even chronic long-term depression, because I don't reckon people are born depressed, but they do BECOME depressed, for varying reasons. People say it's genetic, which it may well be, but role-modelling and family history of behaviours definitely play a part. If a person's life situation isn't as they wish it to be, then it's normal to feel depressed, but mindfulness, CBT, or positive type thinking certainly help to address things a bit, but I don't know if it's possible to change essentially a persons basic personality and drives, all of them can be regarded as tools, fixes and distractions IMO, but worth doing nonetheless. Medication may change the brain chemistry but they don't change the life stressors, only the person can do that themselves.

I have the problem where I can't get myself to take action. I can make goals up the wazoo, plan every last detail, organize everything, analyze everything, but then never actually START. I don't know what that is all about, maybe I'm just a natural thinker and not inclined to be a self starter. So how do people change, if it's how you naturally are?

This could be a description of myself, cos I think of things that could be done, but then plod along in the comfortable rutt that I've dug for myself, might be fear of failure or rejection

[Cooler]

The original question is a good one. I'll just give you the simple facts.
Depression is not caused by events. It is a problem with the thought process. It is also heavily influenced by chemical reactions in our brain.
A crappy life can make you feel very low, depression is different.
Replace the word 'depression' with 'Suppression'. It is most usually an absence of emotion. Indifference. Not caring.

Peter and folks,

I agree with this. Depression for me is when worry and anxiety overloads. 'Click' and I'm just laying in bed staring at the wall. Everything else switches off. It is an absence.

C.

[BlackHeart]

I'm wondering if depression is something that you have for no reason and it causes you to hate your life, or is it a condition that naturally happens if you hate your life for a long enough time?
 
I won't go into detail because it would be a VERY long post, but I've never been really happy with my life, and it's always bothered me but lately I've felt like I really need to do something because I'm starting to notice symptoms that I've never had before and I don't want to end up suicidal. Like I've lost interest in things that I used to love. And I have felt very drained and just wish I could stay in bed half the day. I can't even exercise because I have no energy and just want to collapse onto the couch. I find myself avoiding happy people because it bothers me that they are too happy to notice that I'm not, and I don't want to complain and bring down the mood.

I've talked to some people about my problems on other forums, they tell me I just have to change my perspective. Like everything can be seen in a good way if you just look at it differently. Well, I can't. I see nothing good about some of my problems. Am I giving myself depression, or is there something chemically screwed up in my brain that is making me think my life is horrible?

I can't go to a doctor because I don't have a job so I have no health insurance, and I'm broke so I can't afford to pay out of pocket.

I know exactly how you feel, I've felt like that a lot most my life and can relate to the crappy life part. It is interesting to think about, clinical depression and events to depress us. The only times in my life I actually felt happiness was when I was in relationships. Something about someone loving you and being there for you that just fills the emptiness feeling. Other then that thinking back to when I was in my early 20s not in any relationships or even finding anyone to date I was then hanging out and parting a lot with friends. Even surrounded by friends I felt alone, lost, empty inside. My only passion in life is to really have someone of the opposite sex to share it with. I am picky though, I don't date anyone, and I've only found 2 people in my life that I really connected with and fell in love. I think my time has ran out as I'm not getting any younger, I was meant to live a miserable life and die an old man on a bar stool someday in the future but I do know how you feel and I guess only thing that keeps me going is a small shred of a dream to find my  happiness someday but I won't hold my breath. Good luck to you !